Becky Hammon spent years standing by a take that made the New York Knicks fans furious. The Las Vegas Aces head coach and ESPN analyst had made her position clear, more than once, that she had nothing to apologize for when it came to Jalen Brunson.
Then she walked up to a microphone and changed everything in thirteen seconds.
Becky Hammon Says “I Was Wrong” Before Aces vs Liberty
GettyBecky Hammon Weighs In on Jalen Brunson Controversy With New Knicks Message
Before the Aces’ home game against the New York Liberty on June 24, Hammon opened her pregame press conference with something nobody expected.
“Wait, I have a comment to start. I was wrong. I was wrong. My opinion was wrong. Okay, let’s go.”
No name. No elaboration. She said it and moved on. Given the context of everything that had played out over the last few weeks, it almost certainly points to Brunson and her long-running “1A dude” comment. But without a name attached, there’s just enough room to wonder.
Brunson had just wrapped up one of the great Finals performances in recent memory. He averaged 32.6 points per game across the series, scored 45 in the Game 5 clincher on the road, and walked away with the Finals MVP. He never addressed his doubters publicly. He didn’t need to.
Why Becky Hammon’s Jalen Brunson Comments Became Such a Big Deal
GettyBecky Hammon’s Unexpected Statement Ends Jalen Brunson Knicks Debate
This all started in December 2023, when Hammon said the Knicks were missing a “1A dude” and that Brunson was too small to lead a championship team. That take followed New York around for over two years.
She never backed off it. As recently as May, Hammon said she believed the two best teams were in the Western Conference and stood by her original read as a historical and analytical take, not a personal shot at Brunson.
Then, earlier on the same day as the press conference, Hammon addressed things at the Aces’ shootaround. “Jalen, all he did was prove history wrong; he proves he’s an outlier,” she said. “So you can put his name next to Steph Curry and Isiah Thomas, and I thought he played brilliantly, especially down the stretch. I mean, he was that 1A dude. But apologize? I’m never gonna apologize for having an opinion. That’s what ESPN pays me for.”
Hammon went from “never gonna apologize” to “my opinion was wrong” in the span of a few hours. Brunson just kept winning. That about sums it up.
Becky Hammon Ends Knicks Jalen Brunson Controversy With Unexpected Statement